Virginia House Bill 766

---

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: Introduced on January 9 2024 - 25% progression
Action: 2024-11-18 - Left in Courts of Justice
Pending: House Courts of Justice Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Comm Sub) [HTML]

Custody and visitation arrangements; best interests of the child; expert testimony; history of abuse. Requires a court to consider any history of family abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, or an act of violence, force, or threat in determining best interests of a child for purposes of determining custody or visitation arrangements. Under current law, only such history that occurred no earlier than 10 years prior to the filing of a custody or visitation petition is required to be considered. The bill also requires that any expert evidence from a court-appointed or outside professional relating to any alleged abuse of a child subject to such petition shall only be admitted if such professional possesses demonstrated expertise and clinical experience in working with victims of the type of such abuse alleged that is not solely of a forensic nature. The bill further directs the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to provide mandatory judicial training on trauma-informed practices in proceedings involving domestic violence to magistrates and judges of the juvenile domestic relations district courts, general district courts, circuit courts, and the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and court personnel.

Custody and visitation arrangements; best interests of the child, family history of abuse.

Del. Karrie Delaney [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2024-11-18	House	Left in Courts of Justice
2024-02-02	House	Continued to 2025 with substitute in Courts of Justice (Voice Vote)
2024-02-02	House	Committee substitute posted to LIS only 24106546D-H1
2024-01-29	House	Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2025 with substitute (Voice Vote)
2024-01-29	House	House subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
2024-01-25	House	Assigned Courts sub: Civil
2024-01-09	House	Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2024-01-09	House	Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/24 24104699D

HB766 (Carry Over) 2024-02-02 - Continued to 2025 with substitute in Courts of Justice by voice vote

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB766
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB766/text/HB766
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB766/text/HB766H1